Dine on our Dime: Bambu

When it comes to Asian food in Springfield, diners can either opt for the quick, tastes-the-same-everywhere version, or they can seek out those gems that offer specialized cuisine and authentic dishes. Reader Peyton Faucett has found a favorite in Bambu, and we decided to join him to check out some of his menu picks.

Peyton's Take

Peyton discovered Bambu when his parents, Chuck and Anna, introduced him to it. Chuck works in the food industry and knows where to find all the goodies. "My dad knows restaurants in Springfield," he says. Peyton found a new favorite, and he appreciates all the vegetables and fresh flavors. A 14-year-old who's big on vegetables? Yep, I guess it does exist.

We start with the Tofu Shishimi ($4.25), which is thinly sliced fried tofu with peanut dipping sauce. "It tastes a lot like chicken fingers, but it's tofu, so it's tastier," he says of the crispy strips. "The peanut sauce is delicious; it has a sweet taste to it." Dipping the tofu into the sauce creates a great combination. "I really recommend this."

While we're enjoying our appetizers, Peyton also orders a coffee-flavored Boba tea ($3.50). "It's delicious," he says. "It tastes like a frozen iced coffee and not like tea." Boba tea has tapioca pearls, which come through the large straws and give it some texture.

For his meal, he orders the Chicken Curry ($9.89). Peyton notes the aroma first. "You can smell the curry," he says. He loves the huge portion and the spices that "blend in perfectly with the chicken." The broth, too, has a lot of flavor, and he doesn't need to add salt. "The combination of the meat and vegetables is very good," he says. "I'm glad this sort of stuff is in Springfield now."

Katie's Take

We've visited Bambu before. As a matter of fact, I developed a love of all things Vietnamese while working on a Dine on our Dime about five years ago. When people ask one of my favorite restaurants, I still will say Bambu. The restaurant first introduced me to the idea of spring rolls that aren't fried and have fresh vegetables. You mean I can go to an Asian restaurant and not leave with a belly full of fried cuisine? Yep, at Bambu, these fresh flavors are par for the course.

I'm crazy about the fresh flavors rolled into Bambu's huge spring rolls ($4.25). The mint, the basil — both pair well with the shrimp and peanut sauce. While Peyton enjoys the peanut sauce for his tofu, I douse my spring rolls in the savory sauce. I'm not sure if my love of peanut sauce negates the fresh, healthy flavors of the spring rolls, but no matter. I'm going for it. Bambu's peanut sauce is a reason to walk through the door.

Like Peyton, I get a Boba Tea ($3.50), but I opt for honeydew flavor. The drink certainly doesn't taste like tea, as it has the consistency of a smoothie, and I dig the texture of the tapioca pearls as they come through my supersized straw.

For my meal, I get the R1, the Com Bi Cha Thit Nuong ($9.89), which has barbecued pork, shredded pork, pork and egg pancake, cabbage and white rice. I order mine with an extra fried egg on top of the rice. I enjoy the way the yolk tastes as it drips over the rice. It also adds some texture. The dish comes with fish sauce that I pour over the entire dish to enhance the flavor. The barbecued pork is a staple at Vietnamese restaurants; it has a sweet flavor and a slight crunch that I can't really find anywhere else, except for these specialty Asian restaurants.

I enjoy pairing the crispy, fresh cabbage with the soft rice and flavorful fish sauce. The dish is large, and I have enough for leftovers, too.

The Dish, the Restaurant

Though owner Henry Huyhn opened Bambu 10 years ago, he moved from Vietnam to Springfield in the 1990s. After working in salons doing nails and hearing locals talk about visiting Chinese buffets, he started thinking that Springfield was missing out on real Asian flavors. "It's not really Chinese food," he says. "That fast food is not healthy."

After prompting and encouragement from regular customers, he opened Bambu to give Springfieldians a taste of real Vietnamese and Asian food. "The first couple of years, people didn't know what we were," he says. People kept coming into an Asian restaurant looking for a buffet. Huyhn, though, works on creating fresh flavors that just can't be found on a buffet.

The Boba tea Peyton and I enjoyed is an Americanized version of a favorite from Taiwan, where tapioca pearls are popular. He says customers love sweet tea, so he figured they'd love Boba tea, too. And they do. "I try to do something different," he says.

The Tofu Shishimi is that fried appetizer that Ozarkers crave, but it has tofu, so it packs more of a nutritional punch. Huynh recommends the spring rolls that I love. "I think that's the best one," he says. They cook vermicelli noodles every morning and roll them fresh every day. In addition, he makes the peanut sauce that goes along with the fresh dish.

Curry is popular throughout Asia, and Huyhn says customers from all over — Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong — all love his curry. He says it's the fresh coconut milk that makes his curry stand out. He remembers watching his aunts and mom cook the traditional dish. "If you don't know how to cook the chicken, you can't make the dish," he says. He laughs that people from India even come in and note, with surprise, how great his curry is.

He also makes the pork and egg pancake that comes with my R1, and the barbecued pork is his specialty, too. "We don't buy anything frozen. We do it all," he says. Adding the egg is traditionally Vietnamese, too, and makes the dish great for any time of day. "It makes it super healthy for everyone, too," he says.

Whether you check out Bambu for fresh, healthy flavors or fried appetizers and sweet tea, it's going to be a great meal. Peyton's a believer, and you will be, too.